The Proposal
by lawslave
Summary: A continuation of Eddie and Jamie's relationship that originated in 'One of our Own.' Title says it all.
1. Chapter 1

A continuation of the 'One of Our Own' universe and the next step in Eddie and Jamie's relationship.

Chapter 1

Jamie Reagan opened the driver's side door to the squad car and let himself plop into the seat. He looked to the right where his partner, JC Cruz, had just sat down. "Another satisfied customer."

"At least that one didn't call us any names."

Jamie smirked as he placed his hat on the console. "No, but the attitude and look of disdain more than made up for that."

"Has to be a hundred degrees out. Must be making people moodier." JC took his hat off and ran a hand through his dark hair.

Jamie chuckled. "Trust me, cooler weather doesn't make them nicer when you're handing out tickets."

"A cop can dream. At least you have your vacation to look forward to. Ten days of no dirty looks, drunks, disorderlies and debutants that think they can slap cops across the face." JC unconsciously rubbed at his cheek.

Jamie smiled at his partner. He and Eddie were taking their first real vacation together in a couple of weeks, something they'd been planning for months and a trip they both wanted to cross off their bucket lists - a road trip down the Pacific Coast Highway in California. It would be a ten day vacation that would begin in San Francisco. They were going to spend a few days in the city and even planned to meet up with Jamie's old law school roommate, Spencer. Spencer had even offered some suggestions on places to stay and things to do on their drive down to Los Angeles.

"Wow. You're still hung up on that one, huh?" Jamie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Looks are deceiving. I was feeling the sting for days after we took her in," JC said in his defense.

Jamie grinned. "You ready to eat?" he asked as he started the car and cranked up the air.

"Absolutely." JC reached for the radio to let dispatch know they were on meal.

"You up for burgers at Sully's? I gotta make a quick stop a few blocks from there, if you don't mind."

"No, sounds good to me." JC buckled in and settled back in his seat. "Where we stopping?"

"Oh, uh, a jewelry store. Gotta pick something up." Jamie put the car in drive and pulled out into traffic.

"Is this cause you forgot our anniversary? That's sweet, man," JC deadpanned.

"In your dreams, Cruz," Jamie chortled.

JC smiled back. "So, what? Is it Eddie's birthday?"

"Nah."

"Anniversary?"

"Nope," Jamie answered as he focused a little to hard on the traffic around him.

"You screw up?" JC's brows arched up as he asked.

"No." Jamie shook his head.

JC noted the way his partner was avoiding eye contact and even seemed a little nervous. "Well, it's not Christmas either," he mumbled. JC faced the front and smiled. "Oh. I get it," he chuckled to himself.

"What?" Jamie asked innocently.

"I may not have a girlfriend, but even I know a guy only goes to the jewelry store for a select number of reasons and you just negated most of those reasons." JC grinned and reached over to pat Jamie's shoulder. "Congrats, man!"

Jamie smiled but avoided his partner's eyes. "Nothing to congratulate me for yet. She hasn't said yes."

"What, like you have doubts?"

Jamie smirked. "She still has to say yes."

"Well, if you're lucky, you'll only have to propose once in your life and for you, it couldn't be to anyone better. You two are perfect for each other," JC assured him.

Jamie's face became pinched as he went to make a right turn.

JC frowned at his reaction. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"No. Just, this will actually be the second time I'll be proposing to someone." Jamie glanced over at his partner. "Didn't work out the first time."

JC grimaced. "Oh, sorry." He hesitated to ask, but couldn't help himself in the end. "What happened?"

Jamie sighed deeply and glanced at his partner. "Long story short?"

JC nodded.

"It was before I went to the academy. Sydney. We went to law school together. I proposed and then my brother died and I switched gears. Threw her for a big loop. And it didn't help that everything with my brother's death started to unravel during my rookie year. So we called it off and she moved to London for work."

"Woah. Bummer, man. Sorry I asked."

"Naw, it's fine. I guess it was for the best, right? I wouldn't be with Eddie if that hadn't ended." Jamie had loved Sydney and didn't regret their time together, but he could not imagine spending the rest of his life with anyone but Eddie.

JC nodded. "Things always have a way of working out for the best. So you just going to haul this rock around for the rest of the day?"

"What, like you're afraid we'll get mugged or something?"

JC chuckled. "Stranger things have happened."

"Yeah," Jamie huffed.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for the reviews and sorry for the delay - busy holiday weekend!

Chapter 2

Jamie pulled up along the curb and put the car in park. "Gimme a minute. Mr. Stein said it was ready, so I just gotta run in and get it."

JC looked at the little jewelry store up the block. "He a friend?"

"Of my dad's, yeah. He actually sold my dad the ring he gave to my mom." Jamie patted the pocket on his left pant leg to check for his wallet.

"Wow. Long time friend, then," JC commented as he pulled out his phone.

"Be right back."

Jamie got out and walked quickly around the front of the car to the store and pressed the buzzer by the front door. Jamie squinted as the bright noon sun glared off the glass door. He waited and when no response came, he placed his hand up against the glass and peered in, spotting Mr. Stein behind the counter with a male customer. They were deep in conversation, so Jamie pressed the buzzer again in case he hadn't been heard.

After a few moments, the door buzzed and Jamie walked in. He gave his dad's old friend a warm smile and went over to the left side of the U-shaped jewelry counter. "Hey, Mr. Stein. Just came by to pick up Eddie's ring."

The male customer took his backpack off the counter, placing the strap across his shoulder as he stepped away to the middle of the store, admiring the watches on display.

"Jamie. Ah. Yes. I have it ready for you, my boy." The gray-haired man looked left and right almost as if unsure of where he had it, until, finally, he stepped to a drawer behind him. He readjusted the glasses on his nose and pulled out a small, black leather ring box.

Jamie noticed his trembling hands as he opened the box and looked at him with concern. "You okay, Mr. Stein?"

"I'm fine," he dismissed quickly. "So, here we are. I'm sure your Edit is going to love it." Mr. Stein looked nervously over Jamie's shoulder to the store's only other occupant and abruptly closed the ring box.

Jamie had been about to pull the ring out of the box to look it over when it was snapped shut. His brow furrowed, but he said nothing. He looked over his shoulder, wondering what he had interrupted between the two men.

"Do you need a bag, Jamie?"

Jamie turned back to the jeweler. "Ah, no, Mr. Stein. I'm gonna hold on to it." He took the small box from the man's hand and stuffed it into the large empty pocket on his right pant leg, making sure the flap was closed securely.

"I'm sure you're busy, Jamie. I won't keep you. Make sure to say hello to your mother for me," Mr. Stein said as sweat began to dot his forehead.

Jamie's eyes narrowed and he froze at Mr. Stein's words. That had been his biggest mistake, because as soon as he went to turn and raise his hand to his gun, he heard the familiar sound of a gun being cocked behind him.

"Stop right there."

Jamie stood still. "Listen, we don't want any trouble."

"Put your hands up, officer." The gunman approached Jamie from behind and jammed the barrel of the gun up against the back of his head.

Jamie did not hesitate to raise his arms.

"Please, this is not necessary," Mr. Stein begged. "You can take anything you want."

The gunman reached for Jamie's holster and relieved him of his weapon, shoving it into the waistband of his own pants before taking the handcuffs off his belt. "Step away from the counter," he ordered.

"Listen-" Jamie tried responding.

"Do what I said!"

Jamie took a few steps back, turning to his left to try and get a look at the gunman, but he stayed right behind him.

"Now on your knees!"

Jamie's jaw clenched but he lowered himself to the floor.

"Cuff him, Stein."

"Please, he has no part in this! Just take what you want!" the older man pleaded again.

"Do it or I shoot him!" The perp jammed the gun harder against Jamie's head causing him to jerk forward.

Stein stepped out from behind the counter and walked over to Jamie, taking the cuffs in his still trembling hands. Once he had Jamie handcuffed, he stepped aside. "I'm so sorry, Jamie," he whispered.

The gunman walked around to face the officer.

"Get on the ground, old man," he ordered.

His eyes remained on Jamie as jeweler lowered himself to the floor.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

JC fidgeted in his seat. He looked at his watch and saw that only a few minutes had passed. He looked up the block and blew out a breath. His stomach was rumbling and he hoped his partner wouldn't be long. The clock was running.

He was just about check emails on his phone when he saw an elderly woman drop her shopping bag in front of the jewelry store. He took the keys out of the ignition and moved quickly to help the woman gather the groceries that had scattered on the ground. Once he had her squared away, he wished her a nice day and turned to the jewelry store to check on his partner. When he reached the door, he cupped his hands along either side of his face to look through the glass.

JC's faced dropped. There in the middle of the store was his partner, on his knees with his arms pulled behind him. In front of him stood a man with a gun.

The gunman turned when he caught site of a shadow to his left, aiming his weapon towards it. Jamie's eyes widened when he saw his partner take cover.

JC crawled to the edge of the adjacent business. He'd been expecting gunfire and when none came, he stood along the front of the building trying to get a view into the jewelry store again. "Jesus," he gasped. He quickly reached for his radio and did the only thing he could do.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The gunman stormed across the store to loom over the owner, aiming the gun at him. "What the hell, Stein?! Are you having the entire NYPD come through here today? Did you hit an alarm?"

Mr. Stein held his arms up in self-defense. "No, Jamie is family. He was just here to pick something up, I swear!"

Jamie jumped up to avert the gunman's attack on the old man. "Hey! Leave him alone, he's telling you the truth!"

The gunman took one step towards Jamie and placed the gun against his temple. "You don't talk unless I tell you to!"

Jamie closed his eyes against the pressure.

"Now get down," he ordered.

As Jamie went back down to his knees, sirens began to grow closer.

The gunman looked through the door and adjusted his bag. He'd taken too long. He'd panicked at seeing the cop in the store and then the other one outside the front door. He looked out the front window and knew he was going to have to split. The gunman sprinted to the back room and had just opened the door to the alleyway, but slammed it shut when he saw a police car screech to a halt. He'd wasted too much time.

He ran back to the front of the store to find Jamie trying to get to his feet. "Stay on your knees!" He looked through the door again as multiple police cars began to arrive, parking haphazardly on the street out front.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

Officers began setting up a perimeter around the store while others cleared the neighboring businesses. The scene commander, Lieutenant Nathan Pearce stepped out of his car and searched for Cruz, finding him with the first responding officers.

"Cruz! Sit rep!"

JC stood at attention, sweat popping up along his forehead. "Sir, Officer Reagan and I were on meal. We stopped by the store at twelve hundred so he could pick up a purchase. I waited in the car for a few minutes and got out. I approached the door and observed Officer Reagan kneeling in the middle of the store, he appeared to be cuffed but unharmed. There was one gunman that I could see - caucasian, about six feet, medium build, dark hair, in his late twenties. Officer Reagan mentioned one civilian he expected to see in the store, but I had no visual on anyone else from my vantage point."

"Jesus." Pearce ran a hand down his face. "How the hell am I gonna report this to 1PP," he mumbled to himself. He pulled out his cell and thumbed through his contacts. "Cruz, you stay with me. You're going to have to talk to detectives and HNT when they get here."

"10-4." JC took one last look at the jewelry store before following his CO, feeling like he was abandoning his partner.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

"Why can't you ever let this issue go?"

Frank Reagan stared down his DCPI. "Because it's something that should not be ignored. I've said it once and I'll say it again, just because you got diplomatic plates does not mean that all of New York City can serve as your free, personal parking lot. Hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines go uncollected when they could be put to good use for the city."

Garrett Moore glanced at his boss over his reading glasses. "Diplomatic immunity is in place for a reason. You're beating a dead horse."

Frank leaned back in his chair and sighed. "But not for that reason, Garrett. And when I don't have to consider what parts of the budget to cut for my department, I'll stop beating that dead horse."

Detective Baker stood in the door way. "Excuse me, sir?"

"What is it, Baker?" Frank placed his glasses on the desk hoping this conversation was over.

"A Lieutenant Pearce from the 12th on three, sir. There's a situation."

Frank's stomach clenched, but he didn't hesitate to pick up the phone. "Reagan."

Garrett listened to the one-sided conversation. Frank appeared to be receiving bad news as he breathed deeply through his nose to calm himself.

"When?"

"What's the location?"

"Say again?"

His face dropped at the response.

"Civilians?"

"Casualties?"

"HNT on sight?"

"I'm on my way."

When Frank hung up, he got up and headed for the door. "Baker, let my detail know I'm on my way down."

"Yes, sir." Detective Baker turned to make the call, but stopped when Frank gave her another order.

"Call Sergeant Renzulli at the 12th and get me a location on Officer Janko."

"Right away, sir."

"What's going on?" Garrett asked.

Frank stopped at the door to his office. "There's a hostage situation in Soho. Stein's Jewelry."

"Stein's? Isn't that an old friend of yours?"

"Yes," Frank replied.

"But why do you need a location on Officer Janko?"

Frank pressed his lips together before responding. "Jamie went by there today to pick up an engagement ring." Frank turned and walked out.

Garrett was left stunned in the middle of the commissioner's office.


	4. Chapter 4

Re-read this and got the sense things have been moving slowly so far, but the pace should pick up after this chapter. Thanks for reading!

Also, looking for a beta for another story. Please PM me if anyone is interested.

Chapter 4

Frank Reagan arrived at the scene as quickly as the lunchtime traffic would allow. His SUV had barely come to a stop before he was out the door and marching over to Lieutenant Pearce.

"Lieutenant. What do we got?"

"Commissioner. As I said, the situation started at approximately twelve hundred. No communication yet with the perp. As far as we can tell, we got one gunman, Officer Reagan, and at least one civilian – the store owner, we believe."

They both looked down the block to small jewelry store.

"We got a visual?" Frank asked.

"Of Officer Reagan. He's still visible from the entrance, still in the same position that Officer Cruz saw him in – kneeling in the middle of the store. We've spotted the gunman peeking out a few times but we have no line at a shot through those small windows. If you'll follow me, sir." Pearce pointed down the sidewalk and led Frank to a small diner almost directly across the street from Stein's. Squad cars lined the curb opposite the store and blocked both ends of the street. "We've cleared the surrounding businesses and HNT has set up the command center in here."

Frank spotted Detective Scott Murphy from HNT as techs worked around him to set up their equipment.

"Detective," Frank greeted. "I'm glad you're here." Scott Murphy was one of the best negotiators they had.

"Sir. We should be ready soon to make contact." Murphy did his best on every case he caught, but this one would be just a little more important to all of them and to the commissioner in particular.

Their attention was drawn to a patrol officer that jogged into the makeshift command center. "Lieutenant?"

"Yes?"

"We got a Robert Stein behind the barricade, says his father owns the store. Wants to speak to whoever's in charge."

"Bring him over," Frank ordered and turned back to Pearce. "I know the Steins, Lieutenant. Robert runs the business with his father, Richard. Hopefully, he can offer some assistance."

"Yes, sir."

It wasn't more than a minute later that the same officer escorted Robert Stein over to the command center.

"Mr. Reagan?" Robert asked in confusion. "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting to see you. Wasn't expecting to see any of this, actually. Is my father okay?"

"We think he's fine, Robert. Right now, we're just trying to figure out what's going on. You weren't here when all of this started?" Frank asked.

"No. Dad sent me to the bank and to pick up lunch and I get back and find this." Robert shook his head in disbelief. "I don't understand. What's happening?" A concerned Robert asked.

"We're not sure yet. We haven't communicated with whoever's holding them in there," Pearce advised.

"Them? Who?" Robert asked.

"Jamie had come by today to pick up the ring." Frank was putting a lot of effort into hiding the worry for his friend and his son.

"Oh, no. Jamie. I forgot he was coming by today." Robert ran a hand through his graying hair as he walked to the window and looked at his store.

"Right now, we need to try and get a visual and get a hold of the perp, figure out what he wants." Frank looked to his lieutenant and detective.

Robert's eyes widened and he turned back to the group. "Cameras! I convinced dad to let me install a new system. Too high tech for him to understand, but I can access the feed remotely. I just need a computer."

"Lieutenant?"

"Right away, sir." Pearce walked Robert over to the workstation they'd set up and had a tech help him access the feed.

Frank stared across the street. At this time of day and from this distance, the inside of the store appeared darker than it really was.

"Commissioner?"

Frank turned to see Danny coming through the door. He'd called his oldest son as soon as he left the office to fill him in on what he knew.

"What's going on?" Danny came to a stop in front of his father.

"Your brother came by Richard's store and he walked in on something. We're not sure what, but all we can assume right now is that it was a robbery in progress. HNT's trying to get into the security feed now. They should be making contact soon."

"Do we know his condition? Is he okay?" Danny's forehead creased with concern. He could see that his father was working hard to keep the commissioner mask on.

"As far as we can tell."

"We got eyes!" Pearce yelled out.

Frank turned to see the lieutenant leaning over a computer. They all crowded around several monitors displaying different angles of the small store, all in crisp color. Jamie was on his knees, his hands cuffed behind his back and Richard on the floor near the back counter. The lone gunman stood in front Jamie with his weapon drawn. They appeared to be talking, Jamie surely doing his best to try and diffuse the situation, whatever it was.

Robert was sitting in front of the computer staring at screen when his eyes narrowed. "That little bastard."

Frank turned to Robert. "Do you know who that is?"

Robert shook his head. "Not personally, no, but he came into the store yesterday." Robert looked at Frank. "Acted like he was looking for a gift for a girlfriend, but I could tell he wasn't going to buy anything. Had dad showing him small pieces all over the store and asked about us, whether we were a small family business." He turned back to the monitors.

"Probably casing the place," Danny added.

"Robert, do you have a name?" Pearce asked.

"Uh. Yeah. Just Jimmy, I think. Probably not even real," Robert shrugged.

Murphy turned to one of the techs to have him get a clear image of the perp's face, something they could use for facial recognition.

"So what happened that turned this into a hostage situation?" Pearce wondered.

"Jamie comes in, in uniform, while he was trying to rob the place. Guy panics or gets angry, thinks the owner called the cops," Danny theorized.

"Wrong place, wrong time," Frank whispered.

They were focused on the monitors when it happened. Jamie and the perp were talking when he lashed out at Jamie and pistol whipped him across the back of the head.

Frank clenched his jaw and Danny cursed as Jamie fell forward, his back heaving as he breathed through the pain. The perp hovered over him tauntingly until he hauled Jamie back up by the collar to resume his position.

"We're ready to make contact," Murphy advised.

Frank nodded.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

The gunman paced on one side of the store, stopping periodically to peer through one of the glass display cases that doubled as a window and looked out onto the street. Lucky for him the cops were limited in their view into the store, or so he thought. The number of cops outside was growing and he was kicking himself for not taking off as soon as the first cop walked in. He'd gotten greedy and wanted to take more.

Jamie stared straight ahead, watching the activity outside the door. He thought of the look on JC's face. Poor guy was probably panicked, he thought. He would be. And he was, but he was trying not to show it. He needed to keep his head on straight and try and figure out what this guy's end game was going to be. He sat back against his legs when perp cocked the gun at him again.

"I didn't tell you to move."

"Seriously?" Jamie asked without even thinking.

"Does it look like I'm joking?" the gunman spat back.

They stared each other for a few seconds before Jamie went back up to his knees.

"What is it that you want, huh? Maybe I can help. Put an end to this."

"End how? With another stint in prison? That's not happening!"

The radio at Jamie's shoulder was turned down low, but it still chirped as calls went out from dispatch.

"Turn it off."

"What?" Jamie knew what he was asking but didn't understand what he expected from him.

"The radio. Turn it off!"

"My hands are tied," Jamie said matter-of-factly.

The gunman lunged at the officer, swinging the gun against the back of his head.

Richard yelled out and rushed to Jamie's side, but retreated when the gun was aimed back in his direction.

Jamie fell forward, his forehead bouncing against the thinly carpeted floor. He breathed through the ache at the back of his head as a shadow rolled over him.

"Don't push me," he snarled and grabbed Jamie by the collar to bring him back to his knees.

Jamie's jaw clenched as he worked to control his breathing, the back of his head throbbing where he'd been struck.

The gunman snagged the radio off his shoulder and belt, throwing it against the far end of the room when a voice boomed from the outside.

"This is Detective Murphy from the NYPD Hostage Negotiations Team. We'll be calling the store in a minute. Please pick up the phone so we can talk this over."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The phone behind the counter rang. Jamie glanced over at their perp, who seemed to be debating whether to answer. He considered saying something, knowing that the only way this would end was if they talked, but he feared another strike to the back of his head.

He waited a few more minutes before he finally spoke up. "It's just gonna keep ringing. Only way they're going to know what you want is if you answer." Jamie paused. "What is it you want?"

"What do I want? To walk out of here without the entire NYPD after my ass," he replied indignantly as sweat beaded along his forehead.

The phone continued to ring.

Jamie looked straight at him. "So talk to them."

The perp clenched his eyes shut and pulled at his hair in frustration before pointing the gun at Richard. "Bring the phone over here. And don't try to pull anything."

Richard got up slowly and made his way behind the counter. He picked up the phone and placed it on the glass display case, as far as the cable would allow, and sat back down.

The perp lifted the handset to his ear, but did not speak.

"My name's Detective Scott Murphy. I'm with the NYPD Hostage Negotiations Team. I'm here to listen to you and make sure everybody stays safe. Can you tell me your name, please?" The voice on the other end was calm and understanding.

"No names," he growled back.

"Then what do I call you?"

"I don't care what you call me. Don't act like we're gonna be friends here," the gunman said.

"All right, buddy. Are you okay? Are you injured?"

"No."

"Does anyone need medical attention?" Murphy asked.

"Everyone's fine."

"That's good. Listen, I want to help bring this to a peaceful resolution, okay? No one's been hurt. Right now, we're only looking at unlawful imprisonment."

The perp stayed quiet, his breathing labored as the he listened.

"That counts for a lot and everybody here knows it. Let's see if we can keep things peaceful so we can all come out of this safely, okay?" Murphy paused to allow him a chance to respond and continued when nothing came. "What do you need to end this?"

"A way out of here and no cops," he demanded.

"Okay, so transportation. Where do you want to go?"

"I don't know and I wouldn't tell you that. I'm not stupid!"

"Hey, no one said anything like that."

"Then get me a car, a fast one, with a clear path. I see cops and I start shooting!" he warned.

"I'll see what I can do. While I work on that, maybe you can help me out, huh? How about letting them go?"

"Are you crazy? They're the only reason you're not storming in here!"

Murphy could hear the panic in his voice. "No one's storming anything. I told you, we're going to work with you to resolve this peacefully," he reassured.

"You're full of crap. You got an hour," he said before hanging up.

Murphy looked to where the Commissioner had been listening to the call, with Danny and Pearce looking on.

Danny was first to ask. "What does he want?"

"The usual. Clear path out of there," Frank said as he lowered the headset.

"That's not happening," Pearce whispered as he waited for some information to pop up on his screen.

"What's next?" Frank asked.

"For know, I'll give him some time to calm down, then we call back to assure him we're working on his demand. He has no idea what he's doing or where he's going to go. He's panicked and covering with the tough guy act."

Scott turned to speak to another member of HNT when Pearce drew their attention.

"We got an ID! Got a hit off facial recognition from the security cam." Pearce read the information they had. "Michael Martin, age twenty-eight, has a rap sheet, mostly small stuff - drugs, assault – until he did three years for an armed robbery of a check cashing store, held an employee at gunpoint."

"How'd that end?" Murphy asked.

"Shot the employee in the leg," Pearce responded.

"He's done this before. Can't let him escalate again," Murphy advised.

Danny stood next to his father as he stared across the street. "What was he doing there?" Danny wondered.

"Who?" Frank asked.

"Jamie. I saw Cruz on the way in here. He said they were on meal. Wasn't even a call."

Frank pursed his lips, debating whether to share the news.

Danny didn't miss the expression on his father's face. The one that always told them he knew more than what he was letting on. Danny looked around to make sure no one else was within earshot. "What do you know, dad?"

Frank looked at Danny. He stuffed his hands in his pockets before finally talking. "Your brother came by Richard's store to pick up a ring. For Eddie." Frank promptly turned back to the street, feeling guilty for sharing Jamie's surprise. Jamie had come to him and told him that he wanted to propose to Eddie. He wanted advice on where to go for a ring, knowing there was no way he could give Eddie his mother's ring - the same ring Sydney had returned after they broke off their engagement. He, of course, had gotten him in touch with his old friend. If he couldn't propose with Mary's ring, he should get one from the same jeweler that sold it to him. But Jamie had asked him to keep the news to himself. He didn't want Eddie catching wind of it since the Reagans were known to spoil surprises from time to time, albeit inadvertently.

Danny's eyes widened. "He's proposing?" Danny asked in a whisper.

Frank nodded.

Danny copied his father's stance. Good for Jamie, he thought. Now if they could just get him out of this mess quickly and in one piece.

Tom approached Frank as he ended a call on his cell. "Sir, Detective Baker advised that Officer Janko's testifying in court today."

"Thank you, Tom." Frank pulled his own phone out of his pocket.

"Who're you calling?" Danny asked.

"Erin. I'd prefer it if Eddie heard about this from one of us. Maybe she can go down to the courthouse and catch her before she goes back on patrol."

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

Erin paced one of the hallways of the courthouse. It hadn't taken her long after speaking to her father to pinpoint where Eddie was testifying. Now she just had to wait for her to finish, which gave her time to figure out how she was going to break the news to her brother's girlfriend .

Her father had apologized for giving her the task, but she understood. She wouldn't want to hear about this from a stranger. She knew Eddie wouldn't be the type to breakdown into hysterics, she was a cop after all, but still, this was someone she loved that was being held hostage by a gunman.

Erin remembered how scared she had been when Delgado held her hostage, but she would never forget the look on Danny's face at seeing his own sister with a gun to her head. Erin had seen the same look on her father's face and that was after she'd been released - the fear had remained until he'd held her in the ER. She was about to put that same fear into Eddie.

"Erin? Hey."

Erin had gotten so distracted, that she hadn't noticed Eddie exiting the courtroom. She turned to greet the blonde with a forced smile. "Hi, Eddie."

"Are you on your way in or out of court?" Eddie returned the smile and eyed the ADA. She was picking up a strange vibe from the normally composed woman. Erin seemed uneasy.

"Uh, neither actually. I was looking for you." The forced smile fell from her face, leaving a tense, sympathetic expression.

Eddie narrowed her eyes and gave Erin a questioning look. "Me? Everything okay?"

"That's why I'm here." Erin paused, not sure how to proceed.

"You're freaking me out a little. Is everyone okay?" Eddie smiled nervously. She had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that this, whatever this was, was about Jamie, but she was too afraid to come right out and ask.

Erin, though, knew that she couldn't beat around the bush anymore. "It's Jamie, Eddie. He walked in on a robbery at a jewelry store."

"Is he okay?" Eddie's face drained of all color.

"He's not injured, but he's still there. The gunman's holding him and the store owner hostage. HNT's on scene. So are Danny and dad."

"Where?" Eddie started to make her way to the exit, turning to see Erin following her.

Erin reached for her arm to stop her from leaving. "Soho. Eddie, I don't know if it's such a good idea for you-"

Eddie stopped and faced her. "I'm going, Erin. It's Jamie." Her mouth snapped shut and she swallowed the lump in her throat.

Erin could see the panic in Eddie's eyes along with the internal struggle to keep it together. Erin nodded. She needed to be there too and they walked out of the courthouse together.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Murphy had waited about an hour before trying to reach their perp again. This time he hadn't hesitated to answer, probably thinking his transportation was on the way.

Mike stabbed at the speakerphone button after the second ring. "Is the car here? I don't see any cops clearing out."

"Listen, Michael - can I call you Mike?"

Jamie turned towards the phone upon hearing the name.

Mike stiffened. "How do you know my name?"

"That's not important right now. What is important is that we are working on getting you the car, but you need to give me some time. Only cars I have access to right now are a bunch of patrol cars and I doubt you want someone questioning a plain clothes civilian driving around in one of those."

"I don't care what you have to do! Get the car here now!"

"I am working on it, Mike. I promise. But it would help if you helped me out, huh? It'll show these guys that you're giving something in return. Release a hostage? Please?"

Mike looked between the two men he was holding at gunpoint.

"Come on, Mike. A show of good faith will go a long way."

They could say what they wanted, but Mike knew which one would be more valuable to him and keep them from storming in here. "The old man. The old man can go."

"That's great, Mike. That's really good."

Mike motioned towards Richard with the gun. "Get up!"

Richard hesitated, afraid of the gunman and feeling guilty about leaving his friend's son here alone at the same time.

Jamie sensed his hesitation. "Listen to him, Mr. Stein. Put your hands up when you walk out of here."

"Jamie..."

Jamie nodded. "It's okay. Go," he said reassuringly.

Richard got up and faced Mike. "The lock release, it's under the counter, near the register."

Mike motioned him to the door as he walked backwards to the register. He pressed the button, unlocking the front door. Richard turned back one last time before raising his hands and walking out.

"This is good, Mike. Real good," Murphy said.

"I'm not talking anymore until I get what I want." Mike picked up the receiver and slammed it back down to end the call.

Richard Stein jogged out of his jewelry store and had only made it ten feet before he was met by a pair of heavily armed SWAT officers who escorted him to safety and an awaiting ambulance.

The medics were looking him over when Frank led Robert, Danny and Murphy over to the older man.

"Dad!" Robert hugged his father as soon as he reached him. "Are you okay?" he asked as he pulled away to give him the once over.

Richard nodded, in disbelief that he was actually out. "I'm fine." He looked over to Frank and shut his eyes in anguish. "I'm so sorry, Frank. I tried getting Jamie out of the store as fast as I could."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Richard. This is not on you." His face was kind, not wanting his friend to take any blame for this. "Anything you can tell us, Richard? Any detail at all might help."

"This Mike, he was here yesterday."

"Robert told us. Did Jamie walk in while he was robbing you?"

Richard nodded again. "He had just come in. He had a gun and started demanding the biggest pieces in the case. I had only gotten a few things out when Jamie rang the buzzer. He got angry, thinking I set off an alarm, but I swore to him that Jamie was a customer. He didn't want to leave with the few things he'd taken so he told me to get rid of him as fast as I could." Richard paused for a breath. "Jamie, he knew something was wrong, but this Mike, he picked up on that and pulled his gun on him. He took Jamie's gun too." Richard clenched his mouth shut as he was overcome by the emotion.

Frank put his hand on Richard's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's going to be all right, Richard. We'll get him out." He just prayed his son would be unharmed when that happened.

Danny turned to Murphy. "Now what?" He asked.

"We make him uncomfortable. We'll shut down the air and keep calling until he talks." Murphy left to give the order.

They'd worked quickly to cut the a/c to the jewelry store and waited. Murphy had already tried Mike several times but he refused to answer. The feed showed Jamie in the same position while Mike paced the store frantically, periodically sneaking glances through one of the small windows, searching for the car he was promised.

More than an hour had passed since he had spoken to HNT and the phone continued to ring incessantly now.

Jamie's knees were aching and he'd begun shifting his weight from one side to the other to get some temporary relief. He'd noticed that the air conditioning hadn't kicked on in a while and the room was growing warm.

Mike stormed over to the phone, putting it on speaker again. "Where's the damn car!?"

"Mike, it's coming but you got to give me some time."

"No more time!" Mike zeroed in on Jamie. "I wouldn't be in this damn mess if it wasn't for this stupid cop!" Mike needed to take his frustrations out on someone and the best target for that was kneeling right in front of him.

Jamie scrambled away as quickly as he could when he saw the fury in his eyes. "Wait, Mike, no..." he pleaded.

He barreled his way towards the defenseless officer and threw a right hook across the left side of his jaw that had him toppling over the moment he struck. Jamie barely realized he was on the ground before flashes of pain burst across his chest and stomach that left him breathless. Through it all, Jamie heard shouting in the background, the echoey voice of Scott Murphy on the phone. When it ended, Jamie's coughs and gasps for air competed with Mike's own heavy breathing.

"Mike, listen to me. There's no reason to do any of that. No one needs to get hurt. We'll get you your car, but don't hurt anyone because that'll make things harder."

"Get the damn car!" He spat at the phone before hanging up.

Mike narrowed his eyes at the fallen officer. He stuffed his gun in his waistband and walked back over to Jamie, shoving him onto his back. He tore open his uniform shirt and realized why it hadn't felt like he was kicking flesh and bone when he lost it on the cop - he was wearing a vest, one that might come in handy if the cops tried anything. Mike wiped the sweat from his forehead and hauled Jamie off the floor and back onto his knees. He undid the straps on the shoulders and side of the vest, stripping him of it.

Mike gripped the vest in one hand and aimed the gun back at his hostage. "Get in front of the door. If the cops want to try something, they're gonna have to go through their own guy first."

Jamie's head was down. He turned to spit the bloody saliva that had pooled in his mouth and slowly lifted his head and inched forward to the glass door. He gingerly ran his tongue across his swelling lip and looked out across the street to the officers still taking cover behind their cars, praying that some kind of plan was coming together to get him out of this.

Outside, Murphy and the Reagan men were left stunned by the sudden assault. The only sound coming through the line now was a dial tone. Murphy dropped the line and ran a hand across his face, unwilling to look the PC in the eyes.

Frank just stared at the security feed while Danny had stomped off angrily, the desire to storm into the jewelry store too strong.

"We need to get him out of there," Frank said. He was struggling to stay calm, wanting to do something more than just stand back and watch. But he knew he needed to trust that his people were going to get Jamie out unharmed.

When a more composed Danny came back, he saw Mike approaching his brother again on the monitor. "What's he gonna do now?"

They watched as he stripped Jamie of his vest and positioned him right in front of the door. Jamie was more clearly visible from the outside now. His shoulders moved up and down as he caught his breath and stared ahead.

Mike slipped on the vest. A sign that he was preparing himself for anything that might come his way.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Dad!"

Frank and Danny turned to see Erin and Eddie entering the diner, worry etched across both their faces.

"Where's Jamie? Is he okay?" Eddie asked. She tried to see what they had all been studying so closely, but Frank led them to the other side of the small dining area.

Frank did not want them to have a direct view of the screens should something, God forbid, happen. He preferred not to have them there at all, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep them away. "Jamie's still inside, but he's okay." Frank decided there was no point in telling them about the perp's recent outburst.

Danny joined them. "HNT managed to get the perp to release the civilian hostage. They're working on getting Jamie out, but he's not picking up," Danny added.

Eddie looked around Frank, squinting at a monitor. She could make out a small, still figure on the screen. The other one as moving about nervously. "Is that him?" She asked, not taking her eyes off the screen.

Frank followed her line of sight. "Yes," he confirmed.

Eddie's stomach twisted.

Erin stared at the same screen, her chest constricting at the sense of de ja vu. "What happens next?"

"HNT's going to keep trying for a peaceful resolution, but they're putting together a plan with SWAT in case he refuses to talk or if it looks like he's getting out of control," Danny said, not missing the way Eddie grimaced at that last part.

"Where's JC?" Eddie asked. "Did he get out okay?"

"JC? He's fine. He called it in," Frank said.

"Where was he when this happened? Didn't they go in together?"

Frank and Danny looked at each other, unsure of how to respond.

"They were responding to call, right? Why else would they be here when the place was getting robbed?" Eddie narrowed her eyes and looked from one Reagan to the other. "Why do you have those looks on your faces?"

Erin noticed it too. They were hiding something. "What's going on?"

In that moment, Scott Murphy, as if sensing the very minor predicament his boss was in at that moment, called out to the commissioner so that they could go over their entry plan in case things went south. Frank excused himself and Danny didn't hesitate to ride his father's coattails out of that particular situation.

They left Erin and Eddie worried that something more was going on than what they were letting on.

«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»«»

Jamie didn't know how long it had been since Mike had last spoken to HNT, but he knew they were getting into the late afternoon now. It had gotten hot quickly and Jamie could feel the sweat rolling down his face and his undershirt was growing damp. Jamie rolled his shoulders to ease the ache he was feeling.

Mike had taken up residence in the corner of the store near a window, muttering to himself about stupid cops and continued to aim the gun at Jamie like he expected him to try something with his hands cuffed behind his back.

Jamie was trying to stay focused and alert but he couldn't stop his mind from wandering and some stupid thoughts started to creep into his head that had no business being there.

He knew it wasn't the time or place, but he wondered if maybe he had some kind of black cloud hanging over his head when it came to marriage. His first engagement ended with his fiancee dumping him and running off to another country. Sure, there were all sorts of factors that played into that, but it had still hurt. And here he was, ready to take the leap again and he gets taken hostage when he goes to pick up the ring.

What. The. Hell.

He'd really had enough and let himself drop back onto his legs.

"Hey! I didn't tell you to move!" Mike approached with the gun.

"Give me a break, man! You got the gun. You got all the control, here. If you're not going to answer the damn phone and let them help you get out of here, then I gotta sit down." Jamie knew he was being stupid and possibly wreckless, but he was also getting pissed.

They stared each other down as the phone continued to ring.

Mike walked backwards to the phone, barely taking his eyes off Jamie as he put the call on speaker again.

Jamie shook his head and looked out across the street again.

"I'm tired of waiting, man! You don't have a car coming and I am not playing with you."

"Mike, I'm doing my best to help you walk out of there unhurt. That's all we want, for both you and the officer to get out safe."

"I am not going back to jail! That's the only way anyone is getting out of here alive!"

"Now, hey, Mike, there's no need for any -"

"Shut up!" Mike lifted the gun and fired towards the front of the store.

Jamie fell against the door from the shock of the gunshot. The bullet struck the wall to left of the door and he stared at the hole with wide eyes, taking ragged breaths when he saw how close that had come to hitting him.

"Mike, what did you do?! I can't help you if you hurt someone, Mike," Murphy's tone was urgent and he knew he was on the verge of losing him. He signaled one of the other SWAT officers to get ready.

"That's a warning. Next one actually goes through the cop and he has no vest to protect him." Mike walked back over to Jamie and held the gun up again. "You get me what I want or I shoot! I swear it, man!"


	8. Chapter 8

Almost done with this story; two more chapters after this. Thanks again for all of the reviews!

Chapter 8

Jamie was trying to calm himself. Mike was losing it the more he realized he wasn't getting out of this without jail time and he was not willing to surrender. Scott Murphy knew he was escalating and it wasn't long before Jamie had seen one of the SWAT guys crouched off to one side behind a squad car, throwing him signs that something was about to go down. If he thought he was sweating before, it was nothing compared to now.

Jamie took a deep breath and focused on the SWAT officer despite the fact that Mike still had the gun pointed right at him.

"Mike, come on man. Let's not do this. You have me on speakerphone. Let's talk. Just me and you. You're right. No more stalling, but you got to talk to me. Pick up the phone."

Mike breathed harshly through his nose as he stared at the phone.

"Please, man."

He finally started walking back and picked up the handset with his back to Jamie.

"I'm telling you right now, get me what I want or I start shooting," Mike spat out.

5...

Jamie's eyes widened. It was happening now. The SWAT officer started counting down with his hand.

4...

Another SWAT officer crouched at the edge of the door, almost close enough for Jamie to reach out and touch if not for the barrier between them.

3...

Mike saw movement out of the corner of his eye. "What the hell?"

2...

He dropped the handset and pivoted towards the door...

1...

...lifted his weapon and fired.

Jamie threw himself to the floor, pulling himself into as tight a ball as he possibly could. The glass door exploded and what seemed millions of nuggets of tempered glass landed all over him. Shots were being fired, followed by a flash of white light and a piercing bang that muddled the world around him.

Suddenly, Jamie was being pulled backwards by the collar of his shirt, across broken glass and through the metal frame of the door, his legs scrambling against the ground to aid in his exit in any way he could. His hearing was limited to muffled sounds and a high pitched ringing in his ears, but when Jamie finally dared to open his eyes, he saw a line of SWAT officers moving in past him. He was on the sidewalk, only to be quickly lifted to his feet, support coming from both sides, and hustled away from the chaos, his legs barely keeping pace.

A disoriented Jamie was carefully placed on the curb. He found that his arms had been released and brought his hands to his lap, staring at the small cuts and thin rivulets of blood that ran down his right arm. A medic was crouched before him, her mouth was moving but he couldn't follow any of what she was saying. The world was moving much faster than he could handle. He shook his head and then lowered it, closing his eyes to finally breathe.

He didn't know how long he sat there, before the noise around him began to make some sense again. The ringing in his ears died down somewhat but remained in the background. He looked back up and wondered when an oxygen mask had been fitted over his face.

"Officer Reagan? Are you with me?" The medic asked.

"Yeah," he whispered. He blinked several times, looking around him. SWAT officers were trickling out of the jewelry store, now lacking the urgency they had going in. Uniformed and plain clothed officers milled around, no longer taking cover.

"Good. Do you think you can walk?"

"Yeah," he answered automaticallly, although he really wasn't very sure that he could. There was a weird prickling sensation running through him and a cold sweat that made him shiver slightly.

Doubt was evident on the medic's face as well. "All right. My partner and I are going to get you over to the ambulance, okay? We need to take a look at that arm for you and check for any other injuries."

Jamie looked down at his arm again. It burned from all of the cuts and scrapes. He felt the same stinging on his face, but to a lesser degree. Jamie looked at the medic and nodded. He grimaced when he was helped up from behind onto shaky legs. It was then that her voice cut through the noise around him.

"Jamie!"

Eddie was jogging towards him and his heart clenched at the panicked look on her face.

She slowed as she neared him, reaching up to cup his face. "Are you okay?" She asked with wide eyes and a trembling voice.

Looking into her eyes, it hit him how close he'd come to losing everything today. Jamie's lips pressed together and he nodded, reaching to pull her in for a hug with his left arm. He closed his eyes when he felt her arms go around him. "I'm okay," he whispered, not so sure she'd heard him through the bulky oxygen mask.

Her only reply was choked sob and a gentle squeeze from her arms.

He opened his eyes to see his family looking on behind her.

Eddie released him to give the rest of the Reagans a chance to check on him, wiping her eyes as she stepped aside.

Frank was first, gripping the back of Jamie's neck tenderly. "You all right, son?" he asked in a husky voice.

Jamie pulled the mask down. "I'm fine, dad." He blinked back the tears that were threatening to spill over.

Danny came up next to him and squeezed his shoulder. "Scared the crap about of us, kid."

Jamie huffed out a short laugh. "Scared the crap out of me too," he said in a raspy voice.

Erin was last, coming in for a hug. "I'm glad your okay, little brother."

He squeezed her back not daring to respond.

Jamie pulled back when he saw a small group of officers carrying a backboard across the street to an awaiting ambulance. Mike hadn't gotten out of this unhurt. Jamie followed them with his eyes not sure what to think. He was feeling a little numb.

"Sorry to break this up, but we want to get Officer Reagan to the hospital. We need to get him checked out and he's gonna need some stitches on that arm," the medic advised.

They followed as the medics led Jamie over to the ambulance and helped him climb in. Eddie looked on, unsure if she should get in or let one of his family members go with him.

Frank saw her hesitation. "Eddie, why don't go with him. We'll be right behind you."

"You sure, sir?" she asked.

"I'm sure," Frank assured her.

"Thank you." Eddie climbed into the ambulance and took a seat on the bench, reaching for Jamie's hand as the medic wrapped his arm for the ride to the hospital.

Frank looked on as his son was secured onto the stretcher for the ride to the ER and the doors were closed. Even after the ambulance pulled away, he remained rooted in the same spot, thanking God for sparing his son from serious injury. When the ambulance was finally out of sight, he turned and led his other kids back to his car.

Once they were settled and on their way to St. Vic's, Erin cornered them, not forgetting that they had been keeping something from her and Eddie when they had first arrived on scene.

Erin turned in her seat to face her father and brother. "All right, so spill," she demanded in her best no-holds-barred ADA voice.

Frank quickly glanced at his daughter and faced the window, knowing that she was referring to that whole little avoidance game he and Danny had played. He didn't want to cave again. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, come on!" She looked at both men. "You and Danny know something that you weren't telling us back there, when Eddie asked how Jamie ended up in this mess." Erin reached out to brace herself against the armrest when the car turned.

Erin narrowed her eyes at her brother and Danny suddenly found something of particular interest outside the window, just like her father had. They both refused to meet her eyes.

Erin opened her mouth in confusion. "Come on, guys. What are you hiding? Jamie wasn't responding to a call. What else would he be doing at Mr. Stein's store if he wasn't..."

And then it dawned on her. "Shut the front door," she whispered in surprise. Her eyes widened and a small smile broke across her face. "He's proposing."

Danny turned to her quickly. "Wait a minute. We didn't even say anything. How'd you even figure that out?" he asked.

"Ha! You just confirmed it!" she shot back with a finger aimed at her brother.

Danny clamped his mouth shut and went back to looking out the window.

"And there's only a few reasons a guy goes to the jewelry store and it's not her birthday," she added.

Frank smiled for the first time that day, grateful that he had a reason to, but kept his focus on the passing scenery. "Let's just keep this between us," Frank ordered. His face grew serious again. "I don't know when your brother is planning to do it and this whole day is probably going to have him out of sorts, so play it cool. Let's not ruin anything for them."

They rode the rest of the way in silence. Danny finally looked at Erin, trading smiles with her.


	9. Chapter 9

This is the only way I could see this happening...

Chapter 9

Jamie and Eddie got home really late, or really early depending on how you looked at it. Jamie was examined thoroughly by the emergency room doctor with his most serious injury being, miraculously, a few deep cuts on his right arm that needed to be cleaned of glass and stitched up. Other than that, he came away from the whole ordeal with some minor bruising to his chest and abdomen, a swollen lip, superficial scrapes and cuts to his face and arm from his exit from the jewelry store and tinnitus that would clear up on its own.

After he was discharged, he, Eddie and Frank had said their goodbyes to Danny and Erin who had to get home to Nicky, Linda and the boys. Jamie still had to head to the 12th for a debriefing which he didn't mind doing because it would spare him from having to do it the following day. He wanted to get it over with as soon as possible and had no plans to leave their apartment the next day. So his father had driven them over to the precinct, not willing to let his son out of his sight just yet, despite Jamie insisting he head home himself.

While Jamie and Frank were with investigators, Eddie had headed back to the locker room to change and get her things. She'd also checked in with Renzulli who had stuck around to see that his old boot was truly alive and well. He'd filled her in on what he had heard on the perp's condition - he'd been hit multiple times in the vest he'd stolen off of Jamie, most likely saving his life, but he had also been shot in the arm and leg and was in surgery, but expected to survive his injuries.

He also told her that Michael Martin had struck one officer during the shootout, but luckily they too were hit in the vest and were spared from major injury. Before wishing her a goodnight, Renzulli had insinuated that banging in sick the next day would not be frowned upon and told her to take care of 'Harvard'.

Jamie walked through the door of their apartment first, still dressed in his uniform pants and a scrub top he'd been given at the hospital. Eddie closed the door behind her and found Jamie standing in their living room. She moved to the windows, closed the drapes and turned to face him. He'd been quiet the whole ride home. She couldn't blame him, but it still worried her.

"Do you want me to fix you something?"

Jamie blinked, noticing that she was standing in front of him now. He hadn't had anything to eat all day, but he wasn't hungry in the least. Just tired. "No. Going to shower and head to bed. I think I can still feel glass in my hair," he replied while running a hand across his head.

"Okay." Eddie watched as he headed into their bedroom and didn't move until she heard the shower running. She exhaled and walked into the kitchen, pulling out a glass and the good bottle of scotch Henry had given them. She poured herself a finger and took a large sip hoping it would help her relax.

Even though Jamie was home and safe, she was still caught up in that moment when SWAT had stormed the jewelry store. She and the Reagans had seen it all transpire on the video feed. Scott Murphy had given the sign as soon as he'd convinced Michael Martin to pick up the phone, drawing him away from Jamie. But they hadn't expected Martin to turn and start shooting as SWAT moved in. Her heart had stopped when she'd seen Jamie fall, with no idea at all if he had been hit. Then he'd been dragged along the ground like a rag doll and out of their view. She'd made a beeline for the exit, but Frank had stopped her. She had been oblivious to the sound of the gunfire that continued across the street because she was focused on finding Jamie.

They hadn't left the diner until SWAT had given the all clear and she'd been the first one out the door. She hadn't breathed the whole time she'd searched for him, not until she finally saw him being helped up by the two medics and had her arms around him.

Eddie emptied her glass and put it in the sink. She made her way through the apartment, turning off lights as she headed to their bedroom. The shower was still running and she saw that Jamie had left his uniform pants strewn across the end of their bed with his shoes and socks on the rug next to it, confirmation that he was still in a daze - Jamie was a neat freak and never left his things strewn about. Eddie was about to throw the pants in the hamper but realized he hadn't emptied the pockets either. She found Jamie's wallet in one and placed it on their dresser. She stuck her hand in the other pocket, frowning as she felt a small box. She pulled it out and looked down at her hand. Eddie's heart stopped for the millionth time that day.

She was unable to do more than stare at the jewelry box and that's how Jamie found her, standing stock still with her back to him when he stepped out of the bathroom clad only in sleep pants, his hair mussed from the towel he'd rubbed back and forth across his head.

"Hey, babe, can you help me with these bandages?" He asked as he padded into the room with some gauze and tape in his hands. He frowned when she didn't respond. "Eddie?"

She heard him that time and turned, clutching his pants in one hand and the ring box in the other. Her eyes and mouth open wide in an expression of shock and panic.

Jamie froze. With everything that happened, he'd forgotten that he had put the ring in his pocket. Actually, he was pretty stunned it hadn't fallen out at some point during his trek out of the store.

"This is why you were there," she whispered, Frank and Danny's strange behavior now making sense.

Jamie didn't know what to say. This wasn't how he wanted her to find out he was going to propose.

Her eyes teared up. "Is this what I think it is?"

"Is there any chance you think it's something other than what I think you think it is?" Jamie babbled.

Eddie laughed as a tear broke free and rolled down her cheek. "I don't know what you just said."

Jamie approached her. He placed the first aid supplies on the dresser and pulled his dirty pants out of her hand, throwing them back onto the bed. He took the box out of her other hand and opened it, but did not let her see its contents.

He stared down at the ring that the Steins had helped him pick out for her and smiled shyly. "This isn't how I wanted this to go. I was planning to ask you in California."

"Was?" Eddie's heart skipped a beat. That was the only word she'd heard and thought that maybe he had changed his mind after the day's events.

"I wanted it to be a surprise. I don't know if there's a point in waiting if you know it's coming. I just never pictured asking you to marry me in our bedroom and in my pajamas," he said as he continued to eye the ring. "But if you want to wait, I can wait."

"I don't want to wait. Don't care if you're in your pajamas either," she countered. She didn't care how or where he asked. Nothing about their relationship was conventional.

Jamie gazed into her eyes and smiled again. "I hope you know that you're the only one I would consider going down on my knees for right now," he joked.

And down on one knee he went. He grasped the ring between his thumb and forefinger and placed the box on the floor. He took her left hand in his and looked up lovingly at her as he caressed her ring finger with his thumb.

Eddie's breath caught in her throat when she finally saw it. It was beautiful - a princess cut diamond surrounded by a halo of smaller stones and more that traveled down the split white gold band. Her right hand went up to cover her mouth. She couldn't believe this was happening.

"I adore you, Eddie. You drive me crazy, keep me grounded, make me happier than you could ever know and I love you for it. There's no one else I want to spend the rest of my life with." Jamie paused as he swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn't tell if this was just the day catching up with him or not and decided to ask before he lost the ability to speak. "Will you marry me?"

Eddie was crying in earnest now. For her it was the culmination of the day's events and the certainty of the answer to his question. She nodded that answer before she was ever able to get it out of her mouth, but found her voice eventually. "Yes," she said in between sniffles. "Now get off your knees, you idiot," she said with a laugh.

He laughed back as he slipped the ring onto her finger and stood, cradling her head between his hands as he leaned in to kiss her.

When they broke apart, Eddie brought her arms up around his neck and pulled him to her. "I love you. Don't ever do that to me again, Reagan," she whispered into his ear.

Jamie closed his eyes and held her tightly.

Family dinner next...last chapter.


	10. Chapter 10

Thanks again to all those who reviewed, they were great to receive after every posting!

Chapter 10

"So when are Jamie and Eddie getting here?" Linda asked as she put her lasagna together for dinner.

Frank walked into the kitchen with a bottle of wine in each hand. "Should be here soon. Jamie said they'd be here early to help out," he said.

Erin looked over her shoulder at her father as she pulled vegetables out of the refrigerator. "You talked to him?"

"Yeah, yesterday," Frank confirmed.

Linda was placing a layer of noodles into the pan as she asked, "How's he doing after everything that happened?"

Frank shrugged his shoulders. "Says he's fine."

"Sounds like a typical Reagan response," Erin smirked.

"He was lucky," Danny added as he dipped a spoon into Linda's sauce for a taste.

"Amen for that," Henry said as he joined the rest of the family in the kitchen.

Erin made her way to the island and placed the vegetables on the counter. "Physically, maybe. I had nightmares for weeks after Delgado."

"Well, he knows we're here for him if he weren't," Frank said.

Nicky stopped her task of mincing garlic. "He's got Eddie. Wouldn't he talk to her about it if he needed to?" she asked.

"I'm sure he would," Erin said with a smirk. She shared a look with Danny that didn't escape Linda.

"What was that?" Linda narrowed her eyes at her husband and sister-in-law.

"What?" Danny asked innocently.

Linda pointed a wooden spoon at the pair. "That look. You and Erin – like the cats that ate the canaries."

Frank shook his head subtly and smiled to himself. He knew they wouldn't spoil the surprise, but they were like antsy little kids when it came to keeping secrets.

Danny and Erin were saved when Jamie opened the kitchen door, letting Eddie in before him.

"There they are," Henry announced.

"Hey, everybody," Jamie greeted them.

Henry walked over, hugging Eddie first before studying his grandson and squeezing his shoulder. "You're looking better than I expected. How are you feeling, Jamie?"

Jamie shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. Arm doesn't hurt anymore and the ringing in my ears is all but gone."

"Richard will be glad to hear that," Frank advised. "I also spoke to him yesterday. He called to check on you. He's still reeling from all of it."

Jamie leaned back against the counter. "Don't blame him. He was shaking like a leaf when I first saw him."

"Is that what gave it away?" Erin asked.

Jamie nodded. "That and he told me to say hi to mom."

"Quick thinking," Eddie said. She had made her way around the kitchen to say hello to the rest of the family and stopped to check out the dish Linda was finishing up.

"Yeah, too bad the perp was so jumpy. Murphy said the guy was a real live wire," Danny said as he munched on a carrot.

Jamie closed his eyes and shook his head. "Don't remind me."

"Enough of that talk." Linda lifted her lasagne and slid it into the oven. "We eat in an hour. What else do we have left to fix?"

"The salad," Erin advised.

"I'll do it," Eddie volunteered as she walked over to the vegetables laid out on the island.

Danny and Jamie were taking dishes and utensils out to the dining room while Frank pulled out the wine glasses from the cupboard and Henry helped Nicky butter the garlic toast. Eddie was slicing cucumbers when it happened.

Linda was the first to notice and blinked several times to make sure she wasn't imagining things. "What is that on your finger?" she asked and pointed down at Eddie's hand.

Eddie looked at her hand like she'd just noticed it as well. "Oh, it's a ring," she said nonchalantly.

"What!?"

"Oh my God!"

"No way!"

Then there was gasp that could have come from any or all of the ladies before the family converged on Eddie, congratulating the newest member of the family. Linda held her left hand, admiring the ring with Erin and Nicky.

Jamie heard the excitement and walked back into the kitchen, sending a smile his fiancee's way.

"When did this happen?" Nicky asked with a big grin on her face.

"Yesterday," Eddie answered with a big smile as her eyes met Jamie's.

"She spoiled the surprise and found the ring," Jamie said with a smirk.

"Hey! You left it in your pants and left them on the bed." Her eyes went from Jamie to the girls. "If he'd thrown them in the hamper, I wouldn't have found it."

Danny slapped his brother on the back. "Congratulations, kid. Save the money on the wedding, sounds like you two are already married."

Henry approached his grandson. "That was why you were there? Stein's was getting robbed when you went to pick up the ring?" he asked in disbelief.

Jamie nodded.

"You got held up while getting the ring. Married life should be a cake walk," Danny grinned.

Frank stood up from where he was hunched over in front of the refrigerator, a bottle of champagne in his hand. "Well then, I guess we can finally pop this open."

"Wait a minute. You knew," Henry accused.

"Why do you think he went to Richard for the ring?" Frank responded.

"Way to go, dad. So the kid can blame you for that whole mess," Danny cracked. He was on a roll and they hadn't even sat down to dinner.

"Danny," Linda admonished lightly.

"How long have you had that? I never told you when I was gonna pop the question," Jamie said.

Frank smiled as he worked on the cork. "Right after you first went to Richard. I wanted to be ready to celebrate."

Erin and Nicky made their way back from the china cabinet with champagne flutes in their hands.

"So who exactly knew about this?" Eddie asked as she pointed her finger around the room full of Reagans.

"I only told dad. He was supposed to keep it a secret," Jamie glanced at his father who was putting a lot of focus into opening the bottle.

When he finally looked up at his youngest, he said "It would have stayed a secret but your brother twisted my arm when you were in Stein's. Kept asking why you were there in the first place. You know how he can get."

"Hey! I asked once and you caved on your own," Danny argued.

"Oh, Dad," Jamie said in mock disapproval as he shook his head.

"And that's why they were acting so shady," Eddie told Erin.

Erin gave her a wide eyed look, but said nothing.

"Anyone else?" Jamie asked.

"Erin cross examined us in the car on the way to the hospital. She was ruthless," Danny confessed, not hesitating in the least to pull his sister under the bus with him.

Erin's jaw dropped at the accusation. "Ruthless? All I did was ask what was going on between you two and the two of you all but drew me a picture!"

"Mom, how could you not tell me?!" Nicky huffed.

"Yeah, you too, Danny." Linda smacked her husband in the arm lightly.

"Same here, Francis." Henry glared at his son.

Jamie walked over to Eddie and threw an arm around her shoulders. "See? Told you there was no privacy in this family." He leaned over to kiss her temple.

A pop rang out in the kitchen when Frank finally got the bottle open.

"Well, it's not a secret anymore." Frank poured champagne in each glass while Erin passed them out.

"So a toast to the happy couple." Frank raised his glass and met his youngest's eyes. "We are all very grateful to be here to celebrate this with you both. 'Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance.'"

"Hear, hear."

Fin.


End file.
